How Can I get The Best Deal On A Home? Where Do I Start?

How can I get the best deal on a home? Where do I start?

The home buying process can be daunting. There are many variables involved and my home purchase is likely to be the largest that I ever make. I don't want to make any mistakes and I DO NOT WANT TO PAY TOO MUCH!

Thousands of prospective home buyers ask themselves these questions every day. Most understand that home ownership has both benefits and drawbacks. A monthly house payment is almost always going to be more than rent. How is it going to affect my lifestyle? If I do make a purchase, am I going to be house poor for the rest of my life? A home purchase is a major commitment, am I ready for that?

One of the major advantages of home ownership is long term appreciation. Although the downturn in the market over the past few years belies the fact, single family homes appreciate 6.7% per year on average. Buying a home now, after a major market correction, is likely to put the buyer in an excellent position to reap the benefits of that long term appreciation in a few years. And don't forget the tax advantages of home ownership. Both interest and property taxes are deductable. So Uncle Sam and the Governator pitch in to help you make that house payment each month. Finally, when you buy it, it is YOURS. You can paint it any color YOU want; you can change it any way YOU want. There is no landlord making up rules that you have to follow: The American Dream.

Once you decide that the possibility of home ownership warrants a little investigation it is time to do some research. Today, most potential buyers start their search on the Internet. There is so much information available the one can get overloaded quickly.

If you take it one step at a time, with an organized approach, things will fall into place more quickly than you might think. The purpose of this Blog thread is to help the prospective buyer with that organized approach. Every few days a new piece of the puzzle will be added.

Feel free to ask questions at any time. Every buyer's situation is different and there are over 500,000 licensed real estate agents in California ready and willing to help. Of course, I would like to think that I am your best selection!!

Tune it for the next segment.